Feeding Wild Macaques: More Harm Than Good

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A lone Macaque in PfA's Primate Observation Enclosure


If you have ever fed monkeys while exploring forests or visiting places of worship, then maybe stop and think again. For many years now, we have seen how human beings don’t have the knowledge or idea of what food is right for animals and what should be avoided at all costs. Similarly, we observe how Macaques in India are also not fed the right food. Our act of kindness towards these primates can cause major changes in the forest food web and the ecosystem.

Macaques at PfA


What is generally available for them to eat is what is available in abundance. Interestingly, we also observe how macaques are flexible with their food habits, and how they adjust their behaviour according to food availability. The frequency of eating artificial food and not something readily available in nature was influenced by humans. At this site, the macaques learned that tourists are synonymous with a source of food. Due to our involvement, they get violent, followed by behavioural change; they stop foraging and human-macaque conflicts become very common. Due to this behaviour, there are many cases of conflicts between babies and mothers also.


Macaques in PfA’s Primate Observation Enclosure


A recent study conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) has found that the human act has reduced the fruit intake of monkeys themselves plucked off the trees by half. Tourists usually feed these wild animals biscuits, bread and other eatables. This leads to obesity in these animals, which further hampers their daily activities.

The study was conducted to understand the effects of provisioning, provisions of extra food by humans on these macaques. Researchers say these macaques are an important enabler of seed dispersal for many fruit varieties in forests. Artificial feeding by humans is proving to be disruptive to such natural processes. For instance, we can look at a  study conducted at the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal, which found that provisioning has an adverse effect on seed dispersal and fruit-eating behaviour of macaques. 

Due to a reduction in the everyday travelling ranges of macaques during the provisioned period, seeds didn't get dispersed (through their faeces) as far as they would have had there been no human interaction. Moreover, a large number of seeds were deposited on motor-able roads not conducive for germination. This can bring about changes in plant dynamics as well as gene flow in the forest system. 


Nanny, a blind and disabled foster mother  in  PFA’s Orphanage


Lastly, we also observe how food, one of the most basic needs already available in nature, has become so scarce that the macaques completely dependent on humans end up straying onto roads and highways. These animals then become victims of multiple road accidents and lose their lives or are disabled.

Awareness is extremely important to correct human behaviour and rescue our wildlife from the adversity of our activities. Next time we are tempted to help these animals, it’s prudent to stop and think for a minute about whether or not our act of kindness indeed, will yield the intended results.

Authored by Vyom Bhatnagar, Sanjana B, Kareen, Garima Ranjan and Arundhati Nair
 

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